Fifty years ago on February 9, the Beatles made history by appearing live on the Ed Sullivan Show. Join the Wednesday, Feb. 19 webinar which will explore the social context that provided the background for "Beatlemania" and provide an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Beatles as the decade progressed. There will be discussion of their influence on society, especially all the bands that sprang up as a result of their innovations, their development as a group from their first album to their more complex later work, and their "competition" with other bands, such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys. In addition, we'll consider their intersection with various 60s movements such as Eastern mysticism, the drug culture, and student movements. Finally, we will have an opportunity to assess their continuing appeal across generations.

About James South

Dr. James South is Associate Dean for Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette University. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Duke University (1995) and began teaching at Marquette in 1995. He was Chair of the philosophy department from 2005-2013. His philosophical interests include the history of philosophy, especially the philosophy of the Renaissance (1400-1650), Marx and Critical Theory, Wittgenstein and Ordinary Language Philosophy, and philosophy and popular culture. In addition to a number of scholarly articles in the history of philosophy, he has edited or co-edited books on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, James Bond, and Mad Men, and has published essays on Woody Allen, the Beatles, comic books, and other topics in popular culture.